Extension Part 17

Well, another week has gone by so it is time to report the latest on the extension.

Tom (joiner) was on holiday this week so the sunroom remains as it was.

However, progress has been made by Alan and Mark.

We heard a lot of loud bangs one day - Alan was digging a big hole for the rumble drain. 'You're on solid rock'. 'Yes - we thought you knew. The porosity test failed - that's why we need a rumble drain rather than a soakaway.' When we went back out in the afternoon Alan was filling it back up again. We have no lack of stones that could be used in its construction. Apparently the council didn't want to come out and inspect it - Alan has taken a photograph of it just in case.

Mark has started on the external wall. When we took the dogs out one lunchtime there it was. We thought it looked a little too high as we are planning to have a metre high railing on top. Mark said it

wouldn't be a problem removing one layer of bricks, and that has now been done.

We had a little discussion regarding where the wall 'bends' around - the wall is in three sections of 3.6 metres long, stepping down. We had thought of columns at each change of direction/height for the railings to be attached to. But Alan was not convinced that the angle of the columns would make this easy. So Paul phoned David. He will come round early next week to have another chat with Alan and Mark. He can sink the poles into the wall and angle the hooks to hang the rails.

Thursday/Friday the paving and planting beds around the path were pegged out. A delivery of 'type 1 gravel' arrived. It has now started to be laid where the paving and patio will be. I saw Mark with a boys-toy steam roller type machine flattening and levelling it.

I have continued with LB clearance most days this week.

I had a bit of a break yesterday. I decided to try to remove the nettles and more importantly their roots from the raised bed to be alongside Margaret's wall. This was hard work. The 'soil' there is mainly slimy, wet, cold, smelly clay. Not for the faint hearted. Still, I got a load out - some of the roots stretched for several feet...

I was going to continue this endeavour for the new veggie patch but decided to call it a day after my foot sunk into the mud. I still have this joy to look forward to, but we are due a few dry sunny days so I will wait to see if it dries out. If not it will be out with the wellies.

Today was a major milestone - I finished the big weed section. Hurrah!

So half way there.

The next quarter should be easier - I had cleared this section earlier in the year. It is covered in weeds again but hopefully I got most of the stones out last time round.

The council was out and about yesterday verge cutting. I saved them a short stretch over the other side of the road. And this is only a small selection of what I dug out...